WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jeremiah Francis was too young to absorb his first lesson in the unpredictable life of a college basketball coach.

Jerry Francis, a longtime basketball coach, was on staff at Ball State when his son was born. About two weeks later, the elder Francis lost his job with the Cardinals and lined up another at Houston.

"As soon as I was able to fly, we left," said Jeremiah Francis, a highly recruited point guard in the 2019 class.

Francis said he and Purdue coach Matt Painter first connected over their shared hometown of Muncie. The Boilermakers were one of Francis' first big scholarship offers, and were one of the frontrunners as the Pickerington (Ohio) Central star considered a summer commitment.

Yet so was hometown Ohio State. Jerry Francis starred for the Buckeyes. His son developed a close relationship with Thad Matta, whose Buckeyes tenure ended abruptly on June 5. That shake-up, plus schools such as North Carolina entering the picture, led Jeremiah Francis to push his decision back to next year.

Indiana, Butler and Ohio State have all changed coaches since the end of the season. The Hoosiers fired Tom Crean and hired former Dayton coach Archie Miller. Chris Holtmann left Butler to take over OSU. Former Bulldog LaVall Jordan left Milwaukee to lead his alma mater.

The musical chairs had recruiting repercussions. Justin Ahrens, one of Ohio State's top 2018 recruits, decommitted. (Purdue quickly reached out to him afterward.) Kyle Young, already signed to Butler's incoming class, was granted his release and followed Holtmann to the Buckeyes.

Those falling dominoes — and the ensuing waiting game — created some uneasy days and weeks for uncommitted recruits entering the final stretch of their process. Some reconsidered whether they were eventually picking a school or picking a program and coaching staff.

"It's been a little stressful," said Tanika Phinisse, mother of McCutcheon guard Robert Phinisee, who has offers from Purdue and those three turnover-affected schools. "You start forming and developing these relationships and then boom, you have that coaching change.

"It's education first — making sure you have the right fit for his degree — but then along with that, having that relationship with the coach and the staff, because it's more than just basketball."

Tindley guard Eric Hunter said he understood why Holtmann took the Ohio State job. However, he was fond of the coach and Butler, and felt that situation was "lining up" prior to the coaching change. (Hunter spoke last Thursday afternoon at Purdue's team camp, before Holtmann extended an Ohio State scholarship offer that night.)

Hunter, a rising senior point guard, hears from a handful of coaches per day by text or phone call. He said developing a relationship with the head coach is "second to none" in his recruiting process. More than anything, it's about building trust.

"In recruiting, they kind of make it seem like you're the best thing since sliced bread," said Hunter, also pursued by Minnesota and Nebraska, among others. "You've got to know what sounds honest and what isn't."

Many of those relationships have begun by the time top recruits reach their freshman year of high school.

Indiana surprised Phinisee when it offered him his first scholarship in September of his sophomore year. The Hoosiers kept up their pursuit, and Phinisee said his best relationship with a head coach was with Crean. While Crean is not currently coaching, he and Tanika Phinisee still remain in touch via text message.

That early enthusiasm from a program or coach makes an impression, but Robert Phinisee said it's not always crucial. A good "connection" is more important, especially considering how coaching changes sometimes shift those relationships.

"It means a lot, especially at the point guard position," Phinisee said. "We're an extension of them on the court."

When former Purdue associate head coach Jack Owens left to become head coach at Miami of Ohio, the Boilermakers had to adjust some recruiting assignments. Painter hired Steve Lutz from Creighton to replace Owens. Creighton then hired Allen Huss from New Mexico to succeed Lutz.

Which is how the Bluejays came to be involved in the still-early recruitment of Culver Academy rising sophomore Trey Galloway. His father and coach, Mark Galloway, previously coached at Carmel. He's experiencing the recruiting process for the first time as a father after going through it with players such as former Purdue center A.J. Hammons.

The elder Galloway said that background helped him take the emotion out of the process.

"You've got to look at the school more than anything in a coach, because basketball is important to these kids, but it can't be the only thing that's important," Mark Galloway said.

Robert Phinisee has a more nuanced perspective on the process than some recruits. He wants to be a college basketball coach and said he has enjoyed the travel and relationships of the recruiting process. He also understands the cutthroat realities of the business.

Tanika Phinisee's top college priority for her son: obtaining a degree without debt. However, she appreciates the level-headed judgment he has taken to the process. It helped the family process what could have been a turbulent summer.

"One good thing is we have a strong faith, so that foundation we have is what's helped us get through it," Tanika Phinisee said. "If that change happens, it's inevitable, but how we respond to that change is what makes a difference."